DEPUTIES COULD NEED CARS QUICKLY

Valet parking would be a welcome addition to Palm Beach International Airport. It no doubt will allow a number of late-arriving passengers to catch airplanes they might otherwise have missed.

And it may ease traffic congestion, at least a bit. Currently, some late arrivers simply park their cars in the traffic lanes and run for the gate. They figure paying the towing charges is preferable to missing their flights to Atlanta.

Unfortunately, in approving the valet parking plan by a 4-2 vote, the County Commission failed to take into consideration the legitimate concerns of Sheriff Department personnel who work at the airport. The law-enforcement officers have been parking their vehicles in prime spots near the terminal, spots that are ideal for the valet service. Now they will have to park in the garage or surface lots farther away.

Commissioner Mary McCarty said, "I have to park and walk. Why shouldn't they?" If it simply were a matter of convenience for the officers, they certainly should be treated like everyone else.

The officers, however, have responsibilities that can extend beyond the confines of the airport. In emergencies, they have to be prepared to go wherever they are needed at a moment's notice.

Commissioners should look again at the issue. The vast majority of the time, it doesn't matter where sheriff personnel park. In an emergency, however, it can mean the difference between life and death.